Screw driver



Jan. 8, 1952 v L, E BAlLEY 2,581,899

. SCREW DRIVER Filed Aug. 9, 1945 IN V EN TOR.

461 6 27 E i/ y- Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT oF'ncE sormw DRIVER Levi E. Bailey, Owosso, Mich. Application August :1, 1945, Serial No. 609,806

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to screw drivers, and particularly to a screw driver having the blade so formed that the screw may be driven when the handle is rotated on its axis and when disposed at an angle to the axis of the screw to function as a lever.

Screw drivers have heretofore been manufactured to drive and set a screw through the rotation of the screw driver about its axis and the axis of the screw. Screw drivers, having various sizes of blades were employed for operation on different sizes of screws so that the screw could be solidly set by the twisting of the screw driver about its axis.

The present invention embodies the use of a bladefhaving a curved end which varies in radius so as" to be able to contact screws of different sizes.v- The screw is driven by the rotation of the handle about its axis and set when the axis of the handle is offset at an angle to .the axis of the screw to function as a lever. The sides of the blade may diverge or converge to the arcuate end portion depending upon the size of screws on which the screw driver is to be employed. The blade is welded, brazed or otherwise secured to a shank which may be set in a .handle or which may be removably secured in a holder disposed in the handle to provide a screw driver having a plurality of blades.

The main object of this invention is to provide a screw driver with a blade having an end portion disposed on a varying are which is capable of engaging a screw with the axis of the screw driver aligned with the axis of the screw and disposed at an angle thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a handle with a holding element in which the shanks of a set of screw driver blades may be disposedin removably fixed relation thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a handle with a plurality of screw driver blades which vary in shape and size but which have arcuate ends on the screw-engagin Portions so that. the screw driver may be tilted relative to the axis of the screw and maintained in driving relation therewith.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out orwill become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Figure l is a view in elevation of a screw driver embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the 2 structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 3-3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a screw driver blade, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing a further form which it may assume;

Fig. 5 is a view of a screw driver blade with the screw-engaging portions thereof disposed in difierent relation to each other;

Fig. 6 is a view of a screw driver blade similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, disclosing the arcuate end thereof applied directly to the screw driver shank;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a. screw driver blade similar to that illustrated in Fig. 5, showing a further formwhich the invention may assume;

Fig, 8 is a broken view in elevation of a screw driver similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing a further form of the invention, and

Fig. 9 is a view of a screwdriver having screwengaging portions on opposite ends thereof.

Referring more specifically to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a screw driver I0 is illustrated comprising a handle H which may be made of wood, plastic or other suitable material. An aperture [2 is provided on the central line of the handle f om the blade end thereof in which a shank-supporting element I3 is secured and maintained against rotation by a pin 14 which extends therethrough and through the handle. A ferrule l5 may be provided about the blade-receiving end of the handle H to strengthen the end and to prevent it from being damaged and weakened from use. The shank-supporting element l3 has an aperture l6 and a sloping surface I! on the inner end thereof. The sloping surface I! is machined on the element I 3 through an aperture H3 in its wall. When the element is to be embedded in moulding. material, a sleeve I9 may be disposed over the element to cover the aperture [8 for preventing the moulding material from entering the aperture l6 during the moulding operation.

The blade 2| of the screw driver is welded or shank 22 in the element. I

mal manner through the engagement of the arcuate portion 26 with the slot in the screw head by rotating the handle about its axis on the axis of the screw. When the torque requirement for rotating the handle has increased an appreciable amount, the handle is then tilted to have the arcuate corner portion 2'! "rest in theislot in the screw head with the handle at an angle to function as a lever. The screw is set with a pulling or pushing force rather than a twisting one when the handle is disposed at an angle, with very little energy. The arcuate portion 27 being of a smaller radius; will be maintained Within the "slot in the screw headand will not damage the surrounding surface as the screw is set.

"In view of the 'fact that only .a'minimum amount of torque is applied through the handle portion' H, it will be noted that the handle is left smooth without *the'usua'l ridges and indented portions heretofore provided so as to permit the operator to apply a substantial torque without slippage. "In the present type o1 screw driver,- the torqueapplication is at a minimum so that nodifficultyis experienced due to the slipping of the operators hand on the handle when a smoothsurface is employed.

In Fig. i, a further type of screw driver blade is illustrated, that wherein the blade 3| 'converges toward the driving end 32 to reduce the width of :the 'arcuate end portion which contains "a'fiat curve 2B-which blends in with the arcuate corner portions 21 of smaller radii. The blade functions in the same manner as the blade 2 withthe exception'that is'is employed to drive and set smaller screws than those with which the blade 2| would be employed; It will be noted that thewidth ofthe end portion 33 opposite the end 32 is the same as the end portion 33 on the blade 2|, both'dimensions being the same as the diameter of the ferrule |5 soas to be in continuation thereof.

Additional types ofscrew driver blades are illus 'trated in 'Figs. 5, 6 and "I, wherein the shank portions 22 have different types of blade ends. In Fig; 5, a body portion 35in extension of the shank '22 has a blade 36 thereon which has a be employed for driving and setting a screw.

In Fig.7, the shank 22 has a body portion 42 provided with a head 43 disposed at right angles thereto in T-relation therewith. Blade ends 39 and 4| are provided on the head 43, {the same 5. The structure is similar to that of Fig. "Smith the exception that the blade end 36 is eliminated. a

as onthe stub body portions 31 "and. 38 of Fig; I

the screw head.

In Fig. 6, the shank 22 is illustrated as being provided with a conventional screw driver body 45 having the end thereof provided with a flat arcuate face 26 which permits the screw driver to be tilted so that the axis of the screw driver is at an angle to the axis of the blade, while a firm driving connection is provided between the screw driver end and the walls of the slot in In Fig. .8, a'further form of the. invention is lustrated, that wherein a handle 41 supports a shank 48 of a screw driver blade 49 in permanent fixed relation. The material of the handle 41 maybe plastic which is moulded about the handle as well as the portion 5| at the rear of the blade to securely anchor the shank and blade within the handle against rotation and separation. Further anchorage may be provided by the projecting tabs 52 on the shank provided thereon in the conventional manner. It is also within the puryiew of the invention to drive the shank 43 into the end of a handle made of 'Wood, plastic or oth'ermaterial. It is to be understood that the blade 49 may be similar to the blades illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7.

A further form of the invention is-illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein a plate 55 is provided with an end 56 of greater width than the small end 51. The arcuate surfaces 26 and 21 are provided on each of the endportions so as to'provide a screw driver which maybe employed for drivinglarg'e or small screws, the same as the'blades 3| and 2| in Figs. 1 and '4 if combined into a single plate. The plate 55 may be made any size and a screw driver substantially'th'e size as'illustrated in the figure may be carried in {the pocket and beavailable to drive conventional types of screws. It isto be understood that larger types may be utilized for production work where heretofore difierentisizes of screw drivers had been :em-

ployed. The singleplate orLbIade may be retained in the hand of the operator and reversed end for end for driving .difierent sizes of screws withoutlth'e necessity of changing screw drivers, as has been the practice.

' The screw driver of the present invention is unique in that the driving end is of varying arc' formation having .a hat arcuate' end which engages the slot in the screw when the screw driver is rotated with its axis alignedwith the axis of a screw for initially driving the screw. The corner arcuate portion 21 engages'the slot with the handle at a substantial angle to the axis of the screw to function as ale'ver for applying a force for finishing the driving operation and for thereafter setting the screw. 'The handle may-be provided with "a shank-receiving element so that various types of blades may be employed with a handle, a shank in the handle; and a screw driver blade extending from Qnfe end'of said shank, the screw engagingend of the blade being of varying arcuate shape :at'th'e end and corner portions, the endfportion being of greater radius than-the radii of the archaic "portions at the cor- 5 ners thereof, the side edges of the blade sloping relative to said shank, the centers from which the arcuate end and corner portions are scribed falling Within the blade.

2. A screw driver including, in combination, a blade having sloping sides to provide a screwengaging end, said screw-engaging end having the shape of a varying arc with the end portion being struck on a greater radius than the radii of the arcuate corner portions, the centers from which the arcs are scribed falling within said blade.

LEVI E. BAILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 16 22,547

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Stoner July 25, 1876 Troy July 12, 1887 Hart Sept. 20, 1887 Mansbach Nov. 11, 1902 Cowgill July 10, 1906 Jansson Dec. 7, 1915 Tomeiick Sept. 10, 1929 Velepec Dec. 20, 1938 Stoweli et a1 June 23, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 3, 1912 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1919 Switzerland Aug. 17, 1936 

